Adjustable missile snubber



Sept. 15, 1964- T, c, BOYLE 3,148,586

ADJUSTABLE MISSILE SNUBBER Filed June 3, 1963 INVENTOR. THOMAS C. BOYLE ATTo M tates The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to missile launcher components and more particularly to improvements in the snubber apparatus disclosed in patent application of Earl E. Bierrnann and Melvin Appelman, Serial No. 93,820, filed March 6, 1961 for Launcher, now Patent 3,106,132.

As in the application referred to, this invention is employed Within a shipboard launcher cell which may be elevated and trained in azimuth, like a deck gun. The cell is provided with an internal launcher rail from which a rocket propelled missile is suspended by a pair of longitudinally spaced lugs and along which the lugs may slide during launching. These lugs, while of adequate strength to serve their intended purpose during launching, are too fragile to support the heavy missile when the ship pitches and rolls in a heavy sea.

To provide adequate support for the missile to resist the forces of pitch and roll, a snubber system is provided in the launcher cell which releasably engages the missile at longitudinally spaced positions along its length, and at each position a lower snubber and a pair of upper snubbers are provided which form essentially an angularly spaced three point support. This three point support will, however, engage a missile of only one diameter which thus limits the versatility of the launcher. Subsequent to the original design of the launcher, a new requirement arose for adapting it for use with missiles of different diameters, but preferably without making a complete snubber redesign, to thus render parts of the original snubber apparatus useable and with minimum modifications to the original design.

The principal object of this invention is, accordingly, the provision of a modified upper snubber mechanism of the type referred to which will engage missiles of different diameters and which can be readily adjusted to different fixed positions for the particular diameter missile which is to be launched.

Other objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from a consideration of the description to follow, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of one of upper snubbers;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22, FIG. 1,-

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse section through a launcher cell in which the invention is employed.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, an elongated launcher cell is provided with a launching rail 12, secured to its roof, and along which a pair of longitudinally spaced launching lugs 14, one of which is shown, are adapted to slide during launching, the lugs being rigidly affixed to a rocket propelled missile 16. The buffer apparatus comprises a lower snubber 1.8 which can be rectilinearly moved in a radial direction of the missile by pneumatic or hydraulic power, and a pair of upper side snubbers 20 which are pivotally mounted to swing to and from missile engaging positions.

Each upper side snubber comprises a pair of arms 22 connected by pivot pins 24 to brackets 26 which are secured to a side wall of the cell. The outer ends of the arms are connected by pivot pins 28 to a pad carrier 3% which supports a pad 32 by a pivot pin 34. One end of a pneumatically actuated rod 56 is pivotally connected to the pad carrier. The axes of pivot pins 24, 24, 28, 28 are all parallel and the axes of each pair of pivot pins 24, 28 are equidistant providing a parallelogram linkage which always moves the pad carrier and pad to parallel positions. When the arms and pad move outwardly to missile engaging position, the arms move to a slightly overcenter position which thus positively locks them against retrograde movement.

In the application referred to, pivot pins 28 are nonadjustable and when the pads move to missile engaging position they can engage a missile of only one diameter. The present invention provides an adjustment for these pins so that the pads may engage missiles of different diameters. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, arms 22 of the original design referred to are modified to provide bores 38 which rotatably receive circular pivot pin ends 40, the axes of which are disposed eccentrically to the axis of pins 28 so that when the pivot pins 28 are adjusted to various positions their axes move parallel to the axes of pins 24, thus providing different positions of the surface of the pads when the arms are in their overcenter locking positions and thus being engageable with missiles of different diameters. The lower buffer, having variable movement, engages missiles of different diameter so that the axis of the missile, regardless of the diameter, may remain in the same position relative to the launching rail if the distance between the launching lugs and missile axis remains constant. A non-circular wrench engaging head 42 is provided on each eccentric pin for rotating it to a desired position and a spring urged detent pin 44, engageable in any one of apertures 46, is employed for locking it in a desired position. As will be understood, the angular spacing of apertures 46 is chosen so that in a selected position of adjustment, pads 32 will engage with a missile of particular diameter with arms 22 locked in their overcenter positions.

While the eccentric adjustment is illustrated at the outer ends of arms 22, it will be apparent that such adjustment may be employed at the inner ends of the arms in lieu of non-adjustable pivot pins 24. Also, pivot pins 24, 28 may be non-adjustable and a single eccentric adjustment provided in lieu of pivot pin 34.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

In a shipboard missile launcher of the type comprising an elongated cell having a longitudinally extend ing launcher rail disposed therewithin at the top thereof from which a missile is adapted to be suspended by mis sile suspension lugs and along which the lugs are adapted to slide during launching of the missile, said cell having a pair of longitudinally spaced lower snubbers dis posed beneath the missile having missile engaging mem* bers adapted to be moved upwardly into engagement with the missile and a pair of longitudinally spaced upper side snubbers disposed on each side of the missile having mis-- sile engaging members adapted to be moved inwardly into engagement with the missile at equiangularly spaced points from said rail, each pair of upper side snubbers comprising a parallelogram linkage, each parallelogram linkage supporting one of said upper side snubbers, each parallelogram linkage including a plurality of members having a pair of parallel vertical pivots and a horizontal pivot so arranged to effect movement of an upper side snubber to parallel positions including a self locking position With the missile, the improvements, in combination, comprising;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wondra May 6, 1919 Woods June 7, 1955 Hereth et a1 Nov. 15, 1960 Duncan et a1. June 26, 1962 Charlton Jan. 8, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 28, 1946 

